Quarterback Jeff Avery talks to the press about coming back after his season-ending injury last year during RPI football media day at RPI on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

Quarterback Jeff Avery talks to the press about coming back after his season-ending injury last year during RPI football media day at RPI on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

Mark Grimes and Logan Gaddar are two leaders of the RPI football team, though getting followers isn't easy.

Not many teammates want to match their red-dyed Mohawks. Quarterback Jeff Avery can't believe it, even though he helped produce one of the spiky styles.

"No one's paying me enough for that," which sounds more like a FCS-level complaint and happens to be Avery's only qualm so far with a very veteran squad.

RPI returns 15 starters, including nine on offense, from a team that went 6-5 despite Avery's Week 5 injury. The Engineers still played in the postseason.

Third-year coach Ralph Isernia said he's looking at a team which is big steps ahead of last year before the season opener (which this time comes Sept. 5 against Norwich) and can be versatile on both sides of the ball.

"This is a blue-collar team, a lot of passion ... this is a resilient group. This is a fun group of guys to coach," Isernia said, before adding a well-timed quip. "We're not a one-trick pony."

A good sense of humor was called for, considering RPI's media-day event was a little lighter attended, because of a certain race horse arriving in the Albany area Wednesday afternoon.

Isernia has brought a new stability to a program which had longtime coach Joe King through 2010, then went 15-14 the next three years under as many coaches.

Isernia (11-10 at RPI) has a group, Grimes said, which "has a lot more confidence and leadership. Everybody knows what to do and the young kids step right in and follow us. It creates a crisp practice."

Added Gaddar: "There's structure. Everybody's on the same page. Everybody's got one goal in mind and is pushing each other. It's a really positive atmosphere."

And a unique one, geographically speaking.

This year RPI features players from about 25 states, including Hawaii, as well as having players from Canada and even a U.S. territory: Puerto Rico. That's Marcelo Muns, a 6-foot-4 freshman wide receiver. A family friend recommended RPI, so he sent film. Football is well behind baseball and basketball back home, but Muns says he's played it since age 8.

His father and older brother are civil engineers. Another brother is in the electrical field. He wants to be a mechanical engineer.

Avery calls it a "new dawn." For him, it's because he's healed from a vicious hit last season that sidelined him (after a 4-1 start) with two broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

For the team, it means a "players panel." Recruits are given the pitch from coaches, then (along with family) are given free reign to quiz some veteran players about the RPI experience. The only off-limits topic is academically based financial aid. Older players believe the coaching stability and player involvement has helped RPI broaden its recruiting net.

Another slight boost in recruiting could be coming from Andrew Franks, who's getting a shot to kick in the NFL with Miami these days. Franks averaged 61.4 yards per kickoff and booted a school-record 54-yard field goal (against Hobart). Yahoo Sports just did a big profile of him.